Bodog accuses PokerScout.com of “stealing” data

Posted by Steve Ruddock on Sep 30, 2011 Posted in Poker Industry News | No Comments »

Earlier this week Calvin Ayre called out the online poker tracking site PokerScout.com, claiming that they were “stealing” Bodog data as part of their collection methods. While it remains unclear what precise methods pokerscout.com uses in their data collection (the site basically keeps statistics on the amount of traffic at virtually all major online poker rooms) Ayre claims that Bodog has asked pokerscout.com and other data collection sites to stop listing Bodog, and that pokerscout.com and others use a “hacking” method for their data, according to a Facebook conversation I had with Calvin Ayre.

The issue first arose when Vice President of Bodog Poker Network, Jonas Odman, posted an article on CalvinAyre.com (Calvin Ayre being the founder of Bodog, and still considered by many to be the main mouthpiece of the site) stating:

“It is vital for the online poker industry that the depositing players are put first rather than the high raking professionals who rarely, if ever, add new money to the pot… This is the first in a long line of steps that will make Bodog’s Recreational Poker Model the best place for the casual player to enjoy the game again. Later in the year we will have some additional features that we will roll out along with the new software which we are confident will make the playability of the site one of the best in the industry.”

Not surprisingly, pokerscout.com responded, releasing the following statement:

“Despite Bodog’s assertions, PokerScout does not give any advantage to some players at the expense of others. Unlike some other websites, we do not track or publish individual player statistics. Many of our readers treat PokerScout as an industry scorecard, showing where the sites rank relative to each other and who is outperforming whom. Other readers drill down into more detail to see what games and limits are popular at the various sites. The data is available freely to everyone, and none of it gives any particular advantage to winning players. Bodog is the only operator to suggest that it does.”

“We continue to maintain close, cooperative relationships with many online poker sites. Some 19 operators, from major companies like PartyGaming and Playtech down to the smallest providers, voluntarily provide us data to improve our tracking of their site traffic. This includes both US-facing and non-US operators. These companies clearly have no problem with PokerScout. In fact, executives throughout the industry have repeatedly expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for the service we provide.”

While pokerscout.com has made the decision to change the way it gathers traffic data on Bodog (using public data and traffic patterns to guesstimate Bodog traffic)the war of words has even carried over to twitter, and seems far from resolved at this point.

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